Chapter 22

Stepping out into the world made me happy.

I used to hate this world so much, but not anymore.

Lying on the back of the slow-moving ox cart and looking up at the blue sky, I hummed a little tune.

“You look cheerful.”

At Taecheon’s question I gave a small grin.

“Mm. I like it. This peace. This quiet. I like it a lot.”

“Do you really intend to sit the civil exam?”

“Mm. I promised my parents I’d go. Promises must be kept.”

I’d already passed the preliminary exam. We were on our way to the provincial exam held in Hunan Province. It was a fair distance, but I didn’t care. The exam was an excuse; the real purpose was to tour the Central Plains like this.

On the way I planned to gather information about the Four Heavenly Demon Lords. It so happened we passed near a place long suspected to be one of their strongholds from when they ran rampant.

When I first met my younger brothers, I already knew they weren’t good men. Under ordinary circumstances I would have wiped them out at a single blow, but then I was lonely. I missed people.

And in that state the Four Heavenly Demon Lords trampled over my fields. So I decided to try to reform them—to make men of them again. But it wasn’t easy. They resisted, they fled often. Chasing them taught me a lot about pursuit techniques.

Still, I wasn’t upset when they ran. It was fun—like a game of tag. I even deliberately left gaps so they could escape. Over time I grew fond of them. Given how wicked they were to begin with, true reform was unlikely. When they were with me they merely kept their heads down; their minds didn’t change. The moment they left my embrace they’d do wrong again. They might be doing wrong somewhere even now.

It’s a pity. If I could meet them again, I’d use what I’ve learned to properly reform their minds this time.

Father hated killing. Unless someone had committed monstrous crimes, he believed they could live rightly through the opportunity of repentance. I didn’t like that entirely, but I respected my father. If I broke his belief, shame on me. So I wanted to uphold his creed.

But not every crime could be forgiven. I set my own standard—based on the Four Heavenly Demon Lords. If someone was worse than them, I’d annihilate them without hesitation. If someone was less wicked, I’d give one chance. Just one. If they wasted that chance, I’d kill them too.

How do I judge wickedness? I sense the aura of evil. That’s the measure. And now, with the Five-Phases Incantation Art converted into Scripture Rings, I sense that aura with even greater clarity.

While I was musing, Taecheon’s voice came.

“Young Master. That looks like Sorrow-Cloud Valley.”

Where he pointed, the landscape changed—an eerie gorge unlike any scenery we’d seen so far.

“Shall we go in?”

“Mm. Let’s.”

“All right.”

****

We rode slowly into Sorrow-Cloud Valley and saw an old man waving in the distance. As we drew near and halted, he called out.

“Where are you headed?”

“We have business in Sorrow-Cloud Valley. What’s your business?”

The old man studied me and Taecheon. He looked especially intently at Taecheon and murmured in admiration.

“Hmm. Not related, it seems... What brings you to Sorrow-Cloud Valley?”

“We seek something. Why do you ask?”

The old man looked us over again.

“If you’re going into the valley, could you give an old man a lift?”

“Pardon?”

“My legs ache these days.”

His gaze never left Taecheon. He must have liked something about him.

“Since we’re going that way, please ride.”

“Ahem. Thanks.”

When the old man ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ climbed aboard, we resumed our slow progress. After a moment he studied us and asked,

“What is the relationship between you two?”

“Master and retainer.”

“Hmm.”

He sighed openly, an audible regret. I cocked an eyebrow.

“Isn’t that a bit too obvious to be regretful?”

“Heh. Do you know how hard it is to find talent like that?”

“It isn’t easy. Our Taecheon might only appear once in ten thousand—a Cobalt-Heaven Thunder Body.”

“What?”

I puffed up with pride; Taecheon blushed and tried to stop me.

“Young Master—”

“Why? It’s true.”

The old man’s eyes widened. He snatched Taecheon’s wrist with lightning speed; Taecheon hadn’t even reacted in time.

High-level skill!

For a moment Taecheon chastised himself for letting down his guard. If the old man had malicious intent, things would have been dire. But no hostility came off him, so Taecheon didn’t counterattack. The old man held on tight; when Taecheon tried to pull free, he couldn’t. The old man began to probe Taecheon’s body.

“What are you doing?”

“This... It’s real.”

Greed crept into the old man’s eyes.

“No.”

“What?”

“You’re not thinking of taking him?”

“He’d be far more useful with me than under you. It’d be good for him and for the martial world.”

“No. Taecheon is mine.”

“You? Do you know who I am?”

“We just met today—how should I know? I gave you a ride because you said your legs hurt. What’s with the bundle-demanding attitude?”

“You trust that brat and swagger about now—you’ll get into trouble.”

“I noticed his skill in movement a moment ago. But I won’t hand him over out of fear.”

“Tsk. You don’t even seem to have internal qi.”

“Good eyes.”

“How pitiful. Reaching that age without building internal qi and relying on a guard.”

“How can I cultivate internal qi if I have no dantian?”

“No dantian?”

The old man’s face twisted into an expression of pity as he looked at me.

“Tsk tsk. I didn’t expect to find someone without a dantian. That’s unfortunate.”

Then he turned to Taecheon.

“Don’t serve a man without a dantian. Come with me. With me you’ll lord over the world.”

He looked at Taecheon and said,

“How about it? Follow me and I’ll show you a new world. Don’t you want to command the Central Plains with magnificent bearing?”

“I’m perfectly happy serving my master.”

“What a fool! You have aspirations as a man or not? Wasting that talent on such a man!”

At that the blood rose in Taecheon’s face. He drew his sword.

“You speak beyond bounds. You have insulted my lord. Apologize.”

A chill tightened the air as Taecheon’s temperament shifted. A smile spread across the old man’s mouth at the ominous atmosphere.

“Ah, he’s giving me the chills. The more I look, the more I desire him.”

I watched them for sport. Why should I interrupt this amusing spectacle? The old man seemed to have character, but he didn’t feel evil. My instincts said so. So I kept him on the cart.

“Apologize to my lord.”

“Or else?”

“I won’t treat you as an old man.”

“Oh? Then let’s see your skill.”

A smile curved the old man’s lips. Taecheon looked at me; I gave a slight nod. Taecheon stopped the cart and climbed down.

“Step down, please.”

“All right.”

The old man waved an invitation.

“I’ll cede the first move. Come.”

“Normally I’d decline, but you’re strong, so I won’t.”

Taecheon focused energy into his sword and struck.

“One-Point Mad Burst!”

ZSHAAANG—

A blade qi that seemed to pierce all things shot in a straight line toward the old man.

“Ho! Not bad.”

The old man didn’t dodge. He brushed the One-Point Mad Burst aside with the back of his hand. Taecheon’s face hardened. He’d expected that the man wasn’t ordinary, but the man was far above the grade he’d assumed. Not someone to be toyed with.

“That was good. My hand tingles. Show me more.”

That the old man dismissed a blade force capable of cutting even blue stone with just a hand—it chilled me. Taecheon filled his sword with qi again; a bluish sword aura swelled along the blade. Without hesitation he slashed left and right.

“Heaven-Abyss Flow Break!”

Two lines of sword qi shot forward like waves toward the old man. I thought, Try to withstand this. The old man only smiled and stamped down hard.

THUD—

The ground shook and a chunk of earth rose up before him.

THUD—

Again, he didn’t dodge.

“Oh ho. You intend to force me to move. Good! If you make me take even a single step, I’ll count it as your victory.”

The brazen remark stabbed at Taecheon’s pride. He’d thought himself grown strong enough to match such a man. He’d been wrong.

Taecheon’s sword style was the Taechun Nine Swords—his name embedded in the technique. He’d trained it with affection and reached its apex. He wanted to silence that old man’s arrogance that had insulted his lord.

If Taecheon unleashed the final move of the Taechun Nine Swords, could he make the man shift? He gathered posture and began concentrating all his qi at the blade tip. The old man watched with interest.

“You should step aside.”

Taecheon warned; the old man smiled.

“I’ll handle it.”

He flicked a finger. Taecheon quietly raised his sword above his head.

SFX: Ssshh—.

Taechun Nine Swords—Final Form: Taechun One Flash.

When the blade slashed downward, the air itself quivered in a straight line. The old man’s face turned serious for the first time.

THUM THUM THUD—

No way... He stopped it?

Taecheon looked, stunned, at the old man. He stood with his hand extended into the air and a deep smile on his lips. The old man shook his hand free and said,

“Phew. My wrist is sore.”

“How—how did you—?”

“Good. You overlapped Heavenly-Martial Fang Qi five times.”

“Heavenly-Martial? C-could it be... Elder Heavenly Martial Emperor?”

“Mm. I am Heavenly Martial Emperor. What do you think? Are you moved now? If you follow me, I’ll make you one of the ten finest warriors within Heavenly Martial Castle.”

The old man’s identity was Heavenly Martial Emperor—Jeok Mugun, the one who stood at the top under heaven. Taecheon glanced at me. He’d noticed my expression. Jeok Mugun liked that Taecheon watched me closely; had Taecheon bowed at his revelation, Jeok Mugun might have been disappointed.

“He seems to worry about you.”

Jeok Mugun looked at me with a confident air and said,

“Hand him over and I’ll elevate your family greatly. I’ll assign you a capable guard. Well? How about my offer?”